Cooling bed for steel bar equipped with steel bar automatic stop motion

ABSTRACT

A cooling bed equipped with steel bar automatic stop motion, comprising braking apparatuses which stop by their simultaneous motion steel bars running freely into the run-in table at or around the predetermined position, one or more oscillators to operate said braking apparatuses and an automatic control board whereby signal of oscillator is converted to power control by a selective delay apparatus to work said braking apparatuses.

United States Patent [1 1 Takashima 1 Jan. 15, 1974 [54] COOLING BED FOR STEEL BAR EQUIPPED 2,907,236 10/1959 Peterson 198/219 WITH STEEL BAR AUTOMATIC STOP 2,979,177 4/1961 Sullivan 193/35 A MOTION Inventor: Koichi Takashima, Toyonaka, Japan Kyoei Steel Works, Ltd, Osaka City, Japan Filed: Aug. 24, 1971 Appl. N0.: 174,481

Assignee:

US. Cl. 193/35 A, 198/21 Int. Cl. B65g 13/075, B65g 47/42 Field of Search 198/21, 41, 219;

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1919 Ahlen 198/21 Primary Examiner-Edward A. Sroka Att0rneyE. F. Wenderoth et a1.

[5 7] ABSTRACT A cooling bed equipped with steel bar automatic stop motion, comprising braking apparatuses which stop by their simultaneous motion steel bars running freely into the run-in table at or around the predetermined position, one or more oscillators to operate said braking apparatuses and an automatic control board whereby signal of oscillator is converted to power control by a selective delay apparatus to work said braking apparatuses.

6 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEBJAN 1 51974 4 SHEEI 1 0F 3 KO'ICHI TAKASHIMA,

INVENTOR ATTORNEY S PAIENIEDJAN I SIBM KOICHI TAKASH IMA INVENTOR ATTORNEYS PAIENTEBJANI 5 I914 SHEET 3 OF KOICHI TAKASHIMA INVENTOR lay MW VW ATTORNEY 5 1 COOLING BED FOR STEEL BAR EQUIPPED WITH STEEL BAR AUTOMATIC STOP MOTION This invention relates to a cooling bed equipped with steel bar automatic stop motion, wherein when a steel bar formed by rolling at the final finishing stand of hot steel bar rolling equipment, is cooled down on the cooling bed and is transferred to thenext process, this stop motion prevents steel bars running into a run-in table of the cooling bed from overrunning and stops the lead ing end of each running in steel bar at a predetermined position near the terminal end of the cooling bed.

In producing steel bars by means of 'hot strip, it is usual that steel bars of a certain diameter and of a certain length are manufactured in as large a lot as possible to make the manufacturing loss as small as possible. For this purpose, ingots or billets of an equal unit weight are used as material. However, it is impossible to expect perfect equality of unit weight. Moreover, depending upon the diameter of steel bar to be manufactured, in the intermediate process of rolling, material steel is cut into almost equal lengths, provided that the length of each final rolled steel can be received into the cooling bed. However, in many cases the final cut piece from the material is shorter than the preceeding ones. Accordingly, each steel bar sent out of the final rolling stops at a different point on the run-in table because of varying inertia in relation to the rolling speed. Therehigher costs for the layout as a whole. Also, if steel bars sent from the cooling bed are unequal in length, the yield of finished steel bars, when cutting steel bars in the fixed length, reduces to a large extent, giving a great disadvantage to the steel maker.

I The present invention has for an object to eliminate the above-mentioned demerits. The nature and advantages of the present invention will be understood more clearly from the following description made with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. I is a plan view showing the partial layout from the final finishing stand of steel bar rolling equipment to the cooling bed. v

FIG. 2 is a plan view, illustrating the operation of the I cooling bed for steel bars equipped with an automatic stop motion device.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the cooling bed, as taken on section line III' III in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the brake part of the steel bar automatic stop motion device.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the brake part shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the brake part shown in FIG. 4.

In FIG. I, numeral ll denotes a final finishing roll for steel'bars (hereinafter referred to merely as roll); numeral 2 is a guide trough; numeral 3 is a guide trough which also serves as a stand for a photoelectric tube; 4. Numeral 5 is an automatic control device which works on an air-cylinder for braking by a signal of the photoelectric tube; numeral 6 is a run-in table included in a cooling bed 8; numeral 7 is a (or a plurality of) braking apparatus equipped with an air-cylinder fixed comparatively near the entrance side of the run-in table at a certain interval; numeral 8 is a cooling bed where steel bars sent out to the run-in table are sent intermittently in a sidewise direction, during which they are cooled down to normal temperature as they are maintaining their straightness and numeral 9 is a run-out table, whereby steel bars cooled down and sent sidewise are fed longitudinally into the succeeding process. In the embodiment shown in the drawing, this run-out table is a roller conveyor.

Referring to the outline of the operation in FIG. 1, the steel bar rolled and formed by the roll 1 passes through the guide 2 and the guide 3. At the same time as the leading end of the steel bar passes the photoelectric tube 4, a signal is issued by the photoelectric tube 4 and the time until the steel bar stops at a predetermined fixed position is determined by a timer. The automatic control 5 which opens and closes an electromagnetic valve is actuated after the lapse of the set time selected by the timer. Numeral 6 is the run-in table to be described with reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. While the braking apparatus 7 is working, a steel bar progresses on the run-in table.

Next, when the steel bar draws near the stop position at the terminal end of the cooling bed, the braking apparatus 7 is actuated by the Working of the abovementioned automatic control 5. Thus, the steel bar progressing on the run-in table is subjected to braking and the leading end of each steel bar stops at or near the predetermined fixed position.

Then, the steel bar is transferred onto the cooling bed of which is of the intermittent and sidewise transfer type by means of a kick-off apparatus (to be described hereinafter with reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3). The

bar is cooled for a certain duration of time and is finally transferred, either along or by the required number of pieces, onto the run-out table for longitudinal transfer. Thereafter, it is transferred to succeeding processes, for example, for cutting off the tip of the steel bar, for cutting to a fixed length, etc., and is finally transferred to the finishing operation process.

At the run-in table of a cooling bed which is not equipped with a braking apparatus, steel bars stop at different positions, some dozen meters different at the maximum, (although the position at which the steel bar stops changes to a great extent according to the unit weight of steel bar) due the different weight of each steel bar and the resultant difference in inertia by the rolling speed and by the weight of the steel bar itself. Even in the case of steel bars having almost the same unit weight, the difference in the positignat whigh the steel bars stop ranges from several meters to about 0.5

meter.

According to the. present invention, when making steel bars of the same size, the leading end of each steel bar stops almost at the same stop position, even if the steel material is different in unit weight. In this embodiment, the difference in the stop position is only'within the range of 10 20 c.m. in the'case of a cooling bed of 60 meters in length. Accordingly, from which it has been found that the length of the cooling bed could be reduced by about 15 meters, as compared with a cooling bed of the free stop type with a length of meters. Thus, the cooling bed according to the present invention can be used at extremely high efficiency.

The above-mentioned operation is explained below more in detail with reference to FIG. 2. At the same time as the leading end of the steel bar 12a passes the guide 3, an arrival signal is issued by the photoelectric tube 4 and then the steel bar advances straight at almost the central part of the run-in table 6. After the lapse of the time set beforehand by the arrival signal and the timer, i.e., when the leading end of the steel bar 12a draws near the set stop position, the electromagnetic braking valve is actuated, whereupon a plurality of brakes are actuated simultaneously. These brakes absorb the travelling energy of the steel bar and cause the leading end of the steel bar 12a to stop near the predetermined position. Then, the brake is released and a shaft 11b of the kick-off apparatus 11 provided over the length of the run-in table at certain intervals is caused to make one half of a revolution to cause the steel bar to come down onto the chute 13 by a pawl 1 1a. Then, the steel bar comes down onto the first sawtoothed groove of the fixed Rechen and rests there (as shown at 12b in FIG. 3) until the time when the next succeeding steel bar advances into the run-in table.

A movable Rechen or notched bar carrier 8b having saw-toothed grooves on at least a part thereof, is supported by a saddle 8c which is mounted on an eccentric sheave 8d. A shaft Se is caused to make one revolution by the signal from the afore-mentioned photoelectric tube 4, whereupon the steel bar at the position of 12b is transferred to the position of 120. This action is repeated and the steel bar is transferred sideways to 12d and l2e. When the movable Rechen is positioned at its lowermost point, it is in the state a in FIG. 3 but when it is positioned at its highermost point, it is in the state of shown at b. The steel bar, passing through the positions 12d, l2e and 12f, finally enters in the run-out table 9. When the run-out table 9 receives therein a fixed number of bars, they are sent longitudinally to the following process by the simultaneous driving of rollers 10.

As indicated by FIG. 4., FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the braking apparatus 7 is fixed on a run-in table fitting stand 14 in such a manner that a lower brake piece 7b is fixed to the partially cut-out part of the L-shaped run-in table 6 with a bolt 70. The lower brake piece 7b made of abrasion and heat-resistant material and an upper brake piece 7a made of the same material are movably secured together with a hinge pin 7e (the hinge pin 7e is passes through a washer 7g and is fixed with a split pin 7h). At one end of the upper brake piece 7a is secured the upper end of a connecting metal fitting of the air cylinder 7d which transmits the opening and closing action of the upper brake. The upper movable brake piece 7a of the brake apparatus 7 repeats the action of opening closing opening by the oscillation action converted at the automatic control board 5 by an oscillation signal of the afore-mentioned photoelectric tube 4. This action imparts the braking action to the steel bar 12a progressing in the run-in table 6.

As described above, the cooling bed equipped with the steel bar automatic stop motion device according to the present invention not only improves the yield of steel bars, but also eliminates the disadvantages involved by the cooling bed of a free stop system, such as the requirement of higher driving power for a movable Rechen due to the 10 15 meters allowance for the length of the cooling bed, with resultant higher costs of production and incidental equipment.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cooling bed for cooling metal bars in connection with a bar rolling mill, wherein said cooling bed has a run-in table adjacent thereto, said bars being delivered to said run-in table from said rolling mill, the improvement comprising brake means positioned adjacent said run-in table for stopping a metal bar travelling on said run-in table at a predetermined position, said brake means comprising a plurality of brakes, each brake comprising an upper brake piece and a lower brake piece, said bar normally passing between said upper and lower brake pieces, and means to actuate said brake means.

2. In a cooling bed for cooling metal bars in connection with a bar rolling mill, wherein said cooling bed 1 has a run-in table adjacent thereto, said bars being delivered to said run-in table from said rolling mill, the improvement comprising brake means positioned adjacent said run-in table for stopping a metal bar travelling on said run-in table at a predetermined position and means including at least one fluid cylinder mechanism and means to activate said at least one fluid cylinder to actuate said brake means, said means to activate said at least'one fluid cylinder comprising a means for sensing the presence of the leading end of said metal rod and for generating a signal in response thereto, time delay means connected to said sensing means, said time delay means actuating said at least one fluid cylinder after a predetermined period of time.

3. The improvement of claim 2 wherein said sensing means comprises a photoelectric means.

4. The improvement of claim 2 wherein said brake means comprises a plurality of brakes and said means to actuate comprises a plurality of fluid cylinders, each of said brakes comprising an upper brake piece and a lower brake piece, each of said upper brake pieces being connected to a fluid cylinder.

5. The improvement of claim 2 wherein said cooling bed has a movable notched bar carrier and means for moving said carrier, said means for moving being actuated by a signal from said sensing means.

6. The improvement of claim 2 further including oscillator means for actuating said at least one fluid cylinder, said oscillator means being connected to operate said at least one fluid cylinder in response to said time delay means. 

1. In a cooling bed for cooling metal bars in connection with a bar rolling mill, wherein said cooling bed has a run-in table adjacent thereto, said bars being delivered to said run-in table from said rolling mill, the improvement comprising brake means positioned adjacent said run-in table for stopping a metal bar travelling on said run-in table at a predetermined position, said brake means comprising a plurality of brakes, each brake comprising an upper brake piece and a lower brake piece, said bar normally passing between said upper and lower brake pieces, and means to actuate said Brake means.
 2. In a cooling bed for cooling metal bars in connection with a bar rolling mill, wherein said cooling bed has a run-in table adjacent thereto, said bars being delivered to said run-in table from said rolling mill, the improvement comprising brake means positioned adjacent said run-in table for stopping a metal bar travelling on said run-in table at a predetermined position and means including at least one fluid cylinder mechanism and means to activate said at least one fluid cylinder to actuate said brake means, said means to activate said at least one fluid cylinder comprising a means for sensing the presence of the leading end of said metal rod and for generating a signal in response thereto, time delay means connected to said sensing means, said time delay means actuating said at least one fluid cylinder after a predetermined period of time.
 3. The improvement of claim 2 wherein said sensing means comprises a photoelectric means.
 4. The improvement of claim 2 wherein said brake means comprises a plurality of brakes and said means to actuate comprises a plurality of fluid cylinders, each of said brakes comprising an upper brake piece and a lower brake piece, each of said upper brake pieces being connected to a fluid cylinder.
 5. The improvement of claim 2 wherein said cooling bed has a movable notched bar carrier and means for moving said carrier, said means for moving being actuated by a signal from said sensing means.
 6. The improvement of claim 2 further including oscillator means for actuating said at least one fluid cylinder, said oscillator means being connected to operate said at least one fluid cylinder in response to said time delay means. 